Rose of Sharon Plants

Rose of Sharon Plants (Hibiscus syriacus). The Chiffon on the left, Aphrodite Rose Of Sharon on the middle, and the Helene Rose of Sharon on the right.

The Rose of Sharon or “althaea” (althea) Hibiscus syriacus. This plant does very well in the desert southwest. They will bloom late spring and continue blooming till late fall. This means great color throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons.

It is a deciduous plant and once established is drought tolerant. They have large tropical like blooms and should be fertilized in late spring, summer and fall.

You can prune the bottom suckers to make it into a one trunk small tree. It loves full sun and well-drained organic type soil.

They can get up to 10′ tall but there are some cultivars that stay shorter. This plant is an excellent choice for an abundance of blooming color. Place them in a front entrance as they can be very showy during the spring months.

It responds well to pruning in early spring. Many varieties with multi-colored flowers make this small tree or plant an excellent choice for your landscaping needs. Color Your World nurseries will usually have these type of shrubs in stock. They are a good choice for a stand alone shrub specimen. If you have questions regarding your shrubs please contact us.

Patti, decide where you want to plant the Rose of Sharon. It should be in full sun but it can tolerate partial shade. Make your hole twice as wide and about the depth as the container, it came in. Remove from container making sure you do not expose the root system. Place in hole and backfill with well-composted organic soil. You can mix some of the native soil with organic compost about 50/50 ratio.

Water daily for about 2-3 weeks, then cut back to every other day. On a drip system, this is typically about 20 minutes. Or water by hand it’s about 3-5 gallons each time. Use root stimulator to help make new roots for your Rose of Sharon. Fertilize 2-3 days after planting and use a good shrub all-purpose fertilizer an analysis of 20-20-20 will work. I hoped this helped?